Question

passage 2
sir james knowles (1831-1908) was an english architect and editor. he wrote the legends of king arthur and his knights as a popular version of the king arthur tales. king arthur was a well - known king who supposedly united the tribes of england in the sixth century. he famously gathered his knights at a huge round table, where each would be equal. this excerpt tells the tale of how he received the table, along with his bride.
excerpt from
the legends of king arthur
and his knights
by sir james knowles
... king arthur sent word to king leodegrance that he mightily desired to wed his daughter, and how that he had loved her since he saw her first, when with kings ban and bors he
1 2 3 4 5
what does the author mean on page 4 in passage 2 when he says that sir kay \played his hand like a major - and took every trick\?

• sir kay told his tale like an expert.
• sir kay was not easily beaten.
• sir kay was not easily fooled.
• sir kay played his cards like an expert.

Explanation:

The phrase "played his hand like a major—and took every trick" uses a card - playing metaphor. In card games, a "major" (likely a typo for "master") plays their hand expertly and wins all tricks. Translating this to the context, it means Sir Kay told his tale (or handled the situation) like an expert. The option "Sir Kay told his tale like an expert" matches this metaphorical meaning. The other options: "not easily beaten" focuses on being unbeatable in a competitive sense, not the expert - like telling of a tale; "not easily fooled" is about being perceptive, not related to the card - playing metaphor; "played his cards like an expert" is close but the original is about telling a tale, not literal card - playing.

Answer:

Sir Kay told his tale like an expert.